Curse

NatalieD · Nov 23, 2005, 09:33 AM // 09:33

When my friends and I get together in the team arena (we don't have enough GW-playing friends for anything larger, yet), I get the privilege of being the monk. I do pretty well with a boon prot build, but it's getting a bit monotonous. Unfortunately, my attempts at any other kind of monk have been quite disappointing.

So, what are some good overall strategies for a 4v4 monk who's not a boon protector? I'm not asking for whole builds so much as methods or particular tricks I might have overlooked. My current strategy of "put together a bunch of healing spells and some energy management and hope for the best" is a bit of a failure, and I'm not sure where to go next.

JR · Nov 23, 2005, 09:48 AM // 09:48

I'm actually a big fan of the DW healer premade. When I started getting unlocks on my second account, I used that to farm faction in RA, its quite a nice build once you swap Restore Life out for Res Sig, and switch Vengeance out for Holy Veil.

Fantus · Nov 23, 2005, 10:48 AM // 10:48

From my personal experience, healer monks don't work very well in Random or Team Arena. In 99% of all time, the main target will be YOU. There is no way to outheal all that damage you are going to receive, at least not if the opposition has some clue about what they're doing. Particularly your Divine Boon will be the perfect shatterbait for a Mesmer. Try casting it, and you will get a three-digit number of damage pretty much every time when a Mesmer is present- and lose the main fuel for your healing as well...

Prot monks are the way to go in Arenas, in my opinion.

JR · Nov 23, 2005, 11:34 AM // 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fantus

From my personal experience, healer monks don't work very well in Random or Team Arena. In 99% of all time, the main target will be YOU. There is no way to outheal all that damage you are going to receive, at least not if the opposition has some clue about what they're doing. Particularly your Divine Boon will be the perfect shatterbait for a Mesmer. Try casting it, and you will get a three-digit number of damage pretty much every time when a Mesmer is present- and lose the main fuel for your healing as well...

Prot monks are the way to go in Arenas, in my opinion.

A) The DW healer doesn't use Boon.

B) I the fact that you can't initially outheal damage, like you can on a boon prot, is trivial. If you kite effectively, and your offence is doing its job, you will still come out on top. You put the warrior chasing you in a position of much more risk by extending him through your lines, whilst also avoiding damage yourself.

Fantus · Nov 23, 2005, 12:37 PM // 12:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR-

A) The DW healer doesn't use Boon.

B) I the fact that you can't initially outheal damage, like you can on a boon prot, is trivial. If you kite effectively, and your offence is doing its job, you will still come out on top. You put the warrior chasing you in a position of much more risk by extending him through your lines, whilst also avoiding damage yourself.

That's true of course (I wasn't referring to the DW healer, I was referring to the concept of boon healers itself).

But: Especially in Random Arena, your team usually isn't that organized. Which puts the opposion at the advantage, because it's quite likely that all 4 of them will go into "Whack the Monk" mode without any need for organization. A prot monk will still work nicely in such situations. At least that was my experience (I've tried lots of healer and prot builds in Arena). A healer might work nicely in TA if your mates have at least some form of damage reduction or self healing and are using some strategy like yours above. Even then, I came to think I (and thus my team) survived better as a prot monk compared to the times I went as a healer. When working with a squishy heavy build (with Mesmers or Necros), I'd go prot monk anyway. Preventing damage is better than trying to heal it, IMO.

Elrodien · Nov 23, 2005, 01:01 PM // 13:01

Yep, playing a monk in the random arenas can be hard on your /deaths figure but, getting the right blend of skills, can lead to good results. Depend on always being picked out for execution EVERY time. I tried a Protection/Smite build with some nice results where I used Balths Aura on myself before the warriors arrived followed by Symbol of Wrath and Mark of Protection. One match seen me drop 3 warriors with this one. Obviously its not going to work in all situations, but Balths Aura on your tank as he chases the opposing monk around helps kill the poor guy even quicker.

More recently, I have been trying the Monk/Mes Inspired combo and I have got into TA several times from the CA with this build. My favourite is using Inspired Hex and using the enemies own spells against them. One thing you should learn to do is kite though. It wasn't until I read an article here that I found out that turning your back to a warrior (and running) is one of the worst things you can do. My survival rates have shot up since ;-)

Tanthos · Nov 23, 2005, 01:11 PM // 13:11

If you're looking to play a different type of monk, try building a Mo/E. You have have lots of options. I like using earth, with a combination of Ward against Melee, Armor of Earth (or Kinetic Armor), and Obsidian Flesh (Elite).

wat my name is · Nov 23, 2005, 01:24 PM // 13:24

when i team arean 4vs4 i use 16 healing and 13 divine and rest in whatever you want.

I use a monk/mesmer.

the skills i use are.

Healing Breeze
Orison Of Healing
Echo {Elite}
Dwaynas Kiss
Heal Other
Healing Touch
Essence Bond
Resserect Signet

I find taht with this build its pretty damn easy to heal ur party with orioson non-stop so u dont have 2 worry about them and whne ur sournded with warriors and stuff running/healing is your best friend

wat my name is · Nov 23, 2005, 01:27 PM // 13:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elrodien

Yep, playing a monk in the random arenas can be hard on your /deaths figure but, getting the right blend of skills, can lead to good results. Depend on always being picked out for execution EVERY time. I tried a Protection/Smite build with some nice results where I used Balths Aura on myself before the warriors arrived followed by Symbol of Wrath and Mark of Protection. One match seen me drop 3 warriors with this one. Obviously its not going to work in all situations, but Balths Aura on your tank as he chases the opposing monk around helps kill the poor guy even quicker.

More recently, I have been trying the Monk/Mes Inspired combo and I have got into TA several times from the CA with this build. My favourite is using Inspired Hex and using the enemies own spells against them. One thing you should learn to do is kite though. It wasn't until I read an article here that I found out that turning your back to a warrior (and running) is one of the worst things you can do. My survival rates have shot up since ;-)

I Normally run when in ta and stuff and if theres is 2 or more warriors its normally best 2 run. Even though i rarely die it still helps out becuase most warriors are retarded and keep following u and it gives ur team the oppurtunity to kill the enemy party

funkho · Nov 23, 2005, 03:28 PM // 15:28

I find it extremely rare to run into a build that can spike enough to out damage my boon healer in random arena. Sure, it happens, but 9 times out of 10, the teams aren't focused enough.

Most of the time, the mesmers come with backfire, which I just CoP off of me and boon back up. I like Mo/N with Offering of Blood and pretty much all 5 energy spells. You also run into a good interrupt team that can shut you down sometimes, but any 3 rangers vs 1 monk should own you. That's the un-joy of random...

Healing touch.. Vigorous Spirit... I even throw in a little Divine Intervention, just to mess with people... =)

Anyway, I like my boon healer in random... But of course, competition is a little more advanced in the team arenas... It's hard to beat the versatility of the boon prot... Maybe you could convince your teammates to run a second monk. Heh..

-Funk

Zeru · Nov 23, 2005, 06:42 PM // 18:42

The aura of faith healer is the most powerful single monk build in 4v4 because AoF is just so efficient.

I used to run this.
16 Divine
11 Healing
8 Inspiration

Holy veil
Aura of Faith
Signet of Devotion
healing touch
heal other
divine intervention (anti-hammer)
mend ailment (TA)/power drain
inspired hex

The two HP skills are two fast to be interrupted by pretty much all the arena kids but you'll have to watch out for distracting shots on your devotion signet. With ample signet of devotion use aura of faith becomes far more efficient than offering. The build used to better with the old hex breaker so you'll have to settle with holy veil for hexers.

Iraqalypse Now · Nov 26, 2005, 03:23 AM // 03:23

playing a warrior against a team with monk is done much more effectively by going after a caster until your adrenalin is up, then going to monk gank mode with full adrenalin... not much a monk can do against needing to heal/prot someone, then being knocked down by shock with stoneskin gloves and taking eviscerate + executioner's strike + swift chop before the monk can do anything...

Rico Carridan · Nov 26, 2005, 03:32 AM // 03:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by wat my name is

when i team arean 4vs4 i use 16 healing and 13 divine and rest in whatever you want.

I use a monk/mesmer.

the skills i use are.

Healing Breeze
Orison Of Healing
Echo {Elite}
Dwaynas Kiss
Heal Other
Healing Touch
Essence Bond
Resserect Signet

I find taht with this build its pretty damn easy to heal ur party with orioson non-stop so u dont have 2 worry about them and whne ur sournded with warriors and stuff running/healing is your best friend

If you don't mind me asking, what skill do you echo with this build? All of the skills here seem to have pretty short charge times, and considering how many healing spells you have, I can't see the need to duplicate one of them. I think you'd be better off by switching out echo, breeze, and heal other for word of healing, seed, and something like shatter hex or mend ailment, but that's just me.

Rico